


Remember

by arsenic_bite (orphan_account)



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Angst, Gen, I might add on a chapter where Caboose actually says goodbye from season 15, It’s just angst my dudes, I’m not even sure if this counts as character death so I’m not gonna tag it as such
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-13
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-10-27 07:08:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17762156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/arsenic_bite
Summary: Caboose knows a lot of things. He knows that he has seventeen sisters, that he has this one pill that he has to take every day at lunch, and to always to carry a washcloth and six toothbrushes with you at all times. But most importantly, he knows that no one really dies. Not completely, at least.





	Remember

**Author's Note:**

> The ending dialogue is taken directly from the show. Just thought y’all should know.

Caboose knows a lot of things. He knows that he has seventeen sisters, that he has this one pill that he has to take every day at lunch, and to always to carry a washcloth and six toothbrushes with you at all times. But most importantly, he knows that no one really dies. Not completely, at least.

 

That’s what he kept telling himself while he was driving away from the Freelancer facility, the Epsilon unit and the empty shell of a person in the back of his stolen jeep.

 

“Keep Epsilon safe, get it out before the EMP goes off,” Agent Washington had told him. Which was fine and all, but he had left his best friend back there. Church. But he had died before, so Caboose was sure he’d come back. And anyways, he was a ghost, there was no way he’d get double-killed by an electromagnetic pulse.

 

There’d be no way.

  
  
  
  
  


Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. The hollow shell that was once Church’s body had been confiscated, and he and the Reds had been shipped off to a new set of bases, Epsilon unit in tow. And being left alone for such a long time, Caboose was getting lonely. So he decided to fill the silence with words. He started talking about himself. His family on Earth’s lunar colony, when his dad died, all seventeen of his sisters. Then he started talking about Blood Gulch. Sheila, Church, the Reds, and, ugh, even stupid Tucker. All the while scavenging for parts to put his friend back together again.

  
  
  
  
  


Getting Church into the alien artifact had been easy, talking with him had been a bit harder. But he was exactly how he remembered him! Same grumpy voice, same bad disposition. His best friend was back, and he intended to keep him that way.

  
  
  
  
  


Finding the Freelancer archive facility had been even better, because now not only was Church alive, but he got his old body back! Caboose could finally hug him again, and he could get hugged back. When Church was in a good mood. Which was never. But! That wouldn’t stop him from trying.

  
  
  
  
  


Church and the mean Texas lady had left for the secret Freelancer snow base, and after cheering up the Red Sargent, he and his friends did too. They took a Pelican, following the recovery beacon that lead them straight to him. Landing was a different story. Also he still hadn’t gotten his peanuts from the flight. Stupid Grif.

  
  
  
  
  


The fight with the Meta is hard to watch, everyone barely landing hits on him. But Caboose has a more important job: protect Church. When the Meta is finally done and dealt with, and Grif being picked up from that cliffhanger, everyone comes back to the Epsilon unit. The mean doctor is talking with Church, and then:

 

“Caboose, here, pick it up.” He gestures to the Epsilon unit and a sinking feeling pulls at his gut.  _ No. _

 

“I can’t Church,” Caboose nearly whispers.

 

“Yes you can. You do this all the time,” Church retorts. The words hurt.

 

“Yeah I don’t want to.” Caboose starts to fidget. He can’t do this, not again. Church makes an exasperated motion with his head, almost like he’s rolling his eyes.

 

“Yeah okay, okay Caboose I’m sure I can do it on my own,” he grumbles light-heartedly, like this is all a joke. Like Caboose isn’t going to lose him for the second time. He’s barely breathing.

 

“But what if you don’t come out again?”  _ Again. Just like Alpha. _ Church must have noticed his fear, because he shifts on his feet and puts a hand on Caboose’s shoulder.

 

“Well you know what Delta always said, right?” Church supplied helpfully.

 

“Memory is the key.” Caboose remembers. He can feel his face growing hot, tears welling up in his eyes.

 

“If I don’t come back, then you’re in charge of remembering me, okay?” Caboose nods silently. “Don’t let Tucker help, he’ll just fuck it up.” They both let out a soft laugh, before Caboose can only assume that Church looks him in the eyes. “Goodbye buddy,” he breathes out, kneeling down and phasing into the Epsilon unit.

 

He can only stare, left alone in silence with the mean doctor. Simmons and Red Sargent run over to them.

 

“What’s going in here?” Sargent asks. Caboose swallows before answering.

 

“Church went in, he’s going to find her.” He shivers to let out his nervous energy.

 

Simmons steps in with an agitated stance. “That unit looks bad. Let me see what I can do to stabilize it,” he says, crouching down next to the Epsilon unit.

 

Red Sargent turns to to the doctor. “Doc, go check on Wash. I don’t think he’s gonna make it.” Simmons suddenly stiffens, an edge in his voice as he says, “Oh no.”

 

Caboose looks up in concern. “What? What?” Simmons turns to him. Even with the helmet covering his face, he can sense his sympathy.  _ No… _

 

“It’s only gonna be open for a few more seconds; after that, he’ll be trapped.”  _ No! _ Tears begin to bleed from his eyes.  _ No!!!  _ Caboose’s voice cracks.

 

“Come on Church, you can do it.” He hiccups. “Do you hear me?” No answer. “You can- run towards my voice!” He tries desperately.

 

“It’s shutting down, I can’t stop it!” Simmons squeaks.

 

Everyone falls silent. All they can hear is the low hum of the Epsilon unit.

 

“…Church?” His voice wavers. “Are you there?” Simmons moves towards Caboose, intending to pat his shoulder.

 

“Caboose, I’m sorry,” he says.

 

“Church?”


End file.
